(Porter County, IN) - A Valparaiso-area man has been charged with performing lewd public acts in a fast food restaurant.

 

On Wednesday morning officers were called in response to a man exposing himself inside the McDonald’s on Valparaiso’s southwest side near U.S. 30. According to a statement by the Valparaiso Police Department, "the male subject was committing the indecent act alone, having exposed his genitalia to others within the play area of the restaurant." When they arrived, the man had left the restaurant but was found walking nearby, police said.

 

73-year-old Thomas Ehrsam of Porter Township was charged with one felony count of Performing Sexual Conduct in the Presence of a Minor and two misdemeanor counts of Public Indecency.

 

According to court records, Ehrsam had an initial hearing on Thursday in Porter County Superior Court 2, where a jury trial was scheduled for September 8.

 

Valparaiso police say they are offering the services of the department’s social worker to anyone who was impacted by the potentially traumatic event.